Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers believes Villa will flourish under Paul Lambert - as he "continues to create his own culture at the club."

Rodgers and Lambert both earned promotion for their respective teams - Swansea and Norwich - in 2010-11 before excelling in the top-flight the following season.

Rodgers remembers some "terrific battles" between the sides before both men moved on - Rodgers to Liverpool and Lambert to Villa.

Rodgers believes Lambert is the perfect man to bring success to the claret and blue camp with his "ethos based on hard work and honesty."

He thinks Lambert needs time to get his methods across fully although he believes fans are beginning to see what he's all about.

He said: "You're starting to see the fruits of his labour in the last few weeks.

"He was at Norwich and we had some terrific battles over a couple of years - and we speak reasonably regularly.

"We shared the same upbringing - coming through the Championship and then strides into the Premier League, where we both want to stay.

"He's done a terrific job. He's trying to build something there based on hard work and honesty.

"The young players that I've seen come through - like Barry Bannan, Chris Herd and Ciaran Clark - players that have come through the system - he's trying to give them an opportunity and you'll see them get better as the season goes on.

"It's going to be a difficult game for both sides this weekend. He and I like to have a work-rate and intensity in our teams so that the worst case scenario you get is effort and commitment if you're not quite at your best with the ball.

"They have changed their system over the last few games to 3-5-2 and that seems to have worked well for them.

"Paul is a fantastic manager but it takes time.

"It was always going to take time for him to put his methods across and create the culture that he wanted.

"Sometimes that can take up to six months when you're trying to build, especially if you don't feel it's there.

"But you're starting to see that the young players are starting to have the ethos that Paul wants.

"In the second half of the season they'll push on and he'll do very well with them in his time there."